2 Nyakati 1
1 Selemani mwana wa Daudi, aliimariswa katika utawala wake, na Yahwe Mungu wake alikuwa pamoja naye na alimpa nguvu nyingi sana.
David’s son [King] Solomon was able to gain complete control over his kingdom, because Yahweh his God helped him and enabled him to become very powerful.
2 Sulemani akasema kwa Israleli wote, na maakida wa maelfu na wa mamia, na kwa waamuzi, na kwa kila mfalme kiongozi katika Israeli yote, wakuu wa kaya.
[When] David [was king, he had arranged for a new] Sacred Tent [to be] made in Jerusalem. Then David [and the Israeli leaders] had brought God’s Sacred Chest from Kiriath-Jearim [city] to the new Sacred Tent in Jerusalem that he had prepared for it. But [when Solomon became the king, ] the first Sacred Tent was still at Gibeon [city]. That was the tent that Moses, the man who served God [well], had [arranged to be] made in the desert. And the bronze altar that Bezalel, the son of Uri and grandson of Hur, had made was also still in Gibeon, in front of the first Sacred Tent. [One day] Solomon summoned the army commanders of 1,000 soldiers and the commanders of 100 soldiers and the judges and all the other leaders in Israel. He told them to go with him to Gibeon. So they all went to a hill in Gibeon [where the Sacred Tent was], and Solomon and all the others with him worshiped Yahweh there.
3 Hivyo Sulemani na kusanyiko lote wakaenda pamoja naye sehemu ya juu iliyokuwa Gibeoni, maana ndipo palikuwepo hema ya kukutania ya Mungu, ambayo Musa mtumishi wa Yahwe, alikuwa ameitengeneza jangwani.
4 Lakini Daudi alikuwa ameleta pale sanduku la Mungu kutoka Kiriath yeriam hadi sehemu ambayo alikuwa ametayarisha, maana alikuwa ameliandalia hema huko katika Yerusalemu.
5 Zaidi ya hayo, madhabahu ya shaba iliyotengenezwa na Bezaleli mwana wa uri mwana wa Huri ilikuwepo huko kabla ya mbele ya madhabahu ya Yahwe; Sulemani na kusanyiko wakaenda ilikokuwa. (Maandiko ya zamani yanasema
6 Selemani akaenda huko kwenye kwenye madhabahu ya shaba mbele za Yahwe, ambayo ilikuwepo mahali pa hema ya kukutamia, na akatoa sadaka elfu za kuteketezwa juu yake.
Then Solomon went up to the bronze altar in front of the Sacred Tent, and he offered 1,000 animals to be [killed and] completely burned [on the altar].
7 Mungu akamtokea Selemani usiku huo na akasema kwake, “Omba! Nikupe nini?”
That night God appeared to Solomon [in a dream] and said to him, “Request whatever you want me to give to you.”
8 Selemani akasema kwa Mungu, “Umeonesha agano la uaminifu mkuu kwa Daudi baba yangu, na umenifanya mfalme katika nafasi yaye.
Solomon replied, “You were very kind to David my father, and now you have appointed me to be the king to succeed him.
9 Sasa, Yahwe Mungu, ahadi yako kwa Daudi baba yangu itimie, maana umenifanya mfalme juu ya watu wengi kama mavumbi ya dunia.
So Yahweh my God, you have caused me to become the king to rule people who are as many as the particles of dirt on the earth. So do what you promised my father David.
10 Sasa nipe hekima na maarifa, ili niweze kuwaongoza watu hawa, maana ni nani anayeweza kuwaamua watu wako, ambao ni wengi sana kwa idadi?”
Please enable me to be wise and to know [what I should do], in order that I may rule these people [well], because there is no one who can rule all this great nation of yours [without your help].”
11 Mungu akasema kwa Selemani, “Kwa kuwa hili lilikuwa kwenye moyo wako, na kwa kuwa hujaomba mali, utajiri, au heshima, wala maisha ya wale wanaokuchukia, wala maish marefu kwa jili yako binafsi, lakini umeomba hekima na maarifa kwa ajili yako, ili uwatawale watu wangu, ambao juu yao nimekufanya mfame, na hivi ndivyo nitafanya.
God replied, “[I am pleased with what] you desire; you have not requested a huge amount of money or to be honored or that your enemies be killed. And you have not requested that you live for a long time. Instead, you have requested that [I enable] you [to] be wise and [to] know [what you should do] in order that you may govern [well] my people whom I have appointed you to rule.
12 Sasa nitakupa hekima na maarifa, pia nitakupa mali na utajiri, na heshima, kuliko wafalme wote waliokuwepo kabla yako walivyokuwa, na baada yako hakuna yeyote atakayekuwa navyo.”
Therefore I will enable you to be wise and to know [what you should do to rule my people well]. But I will also enable you to have a huge amount of money and to be honored, more than anyone who was previously a king ever was honored, more than anyone who later becomes king will be honored.”
13 Kwa hiyo Selemani akaenda Yerusalemu kutoka sehemu ya juu iliyokuwepo Gibeoni, kutoka mbele ya hema ya kukutania; akatawala juu ya Israeli.
Then Solomon [and the people who were with him all] left from being in front of he Sacred Tent [on the hill in Gibeon], and they returned to Jerusalem. From there he ruled the Israeli people.
14 Selemani akakusanya magari na wanaume waendesha farasi, naye alikuwa na magari 1, 400 na waendesha farasi kumi na mbili elfu ambao aliwaweka katika miji ya magari, pamoja naye, mfalme katika Yerusalemu.
Solomon acquired 1,400 chariots and 12,000 men who rode [on horses]. He put some of the chariots and horses in Jerusalem, and put some of them in various other cities.
15 Mfalme akatengeneza fedha na dhahabu kuwa vitu vya kawaida kama mawe katika Yerusalemu, na mbao za mierezi kuwa kama miti ya mikuyu iliyomo katika nyanda za chini.
During the years that Solomon was king, silver and gold were as common in Jerusalem as stones, and [lumber from] cedar trees were as plentiful as [lumber from] ordinary sycamore trees in the foothills.
16 Selemani katika uagizaji wa farasi kutoka Misiri, wafanya biashara wake walinunua farasi kutoka Misiri kwa bei stahiki.
Solomon’s horses were imported/brought from Egypt and from [the] Kue [region in Turkey].
17 Waliagiza gari kutoka Misiri kwa shekeli mia sita za fedha, na farasi mmoja kwa shekeli 150. Pia walinunua kutoka kwa wafalme wa Wahiti na wafalme wa Washamu.
In Egypt his men paid 15 pounds of silver for each chariot and 3-3/4 pounds of silver for each horse. They also exported/sold many of them to the kings of the Heth and Aram people-groups.
